Yeavering environs project: High resolution ground-penetrating radar survey

Project summary

This project will use high-resolution Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to investigate the early medieval royal site of Yeavering in Northumberland, one of Britain’s most important archaeological sites. Excavations carried out by Brian Hope-Taylor in the 1950s transformed understanding of the Anglo-Saxon palace and its much longer history of occupation stretching back to the Bronze Age, but important questions remain about the site’s full extent, chronology and relationship with the surrounding landscape. Building on ongoing excavations (2021–2027), the project will survey the entire 6.1-hectare palace field using a state-of-the-art 22-channel GPR system to identify buried archaeological features and guide future excavation.

The survey aims to establish the extent and intensity of activity across the site, investigate features such as the later prehistoric Great Enclosure, and identify previously unknown structures or areas of occupation. The resulting dataset will inform the final excavation season, contribute to nationally significant archaeological research, and provide an exceptional training resource for students and professionals in archaeological geophysics. The project will also engage the public through the Festival of Archaeology and museum displays, while demonstrating the value of advanced GPR technology for heritage management and planning, helping to promote its wider adoption in archaeological practice.